Self-driving vehicle systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Self-driving vehicles have unlimited potential to learn and predict human behavior and perform actions accordingly. Several embodiments described herein enable a self-driving vehicle to monitor human activity and predict when and where the human will be located and whether the human needs a ride from the self-driving vehicle. Self-driving vehicles will be able to perform such tasks with incredible efficacy and accuracy that will allow self-driving vehicles to proliferate at a much faster rate than would otherwise be the case.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of U.S.Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/181,413; filed Jun. 14,2016; and entitled SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS. The entirecontents of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/181,413 are incorporatedby reference herein.

The entire contents of the following application are incorporated byreference herein: U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No.15/099,565; filed Apr. 14, 2016; and entitled SELF-DRIVING VEHICLESYSTEMS AND METHODS.

The entire contents of the following application are incorporated byreference herein: U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No.15/248,910; filed Aug. 26, 2016; and entitled SELF-DRIVING VEHICLESYSTEMS AND METHODS.

BACKGROUND Field

Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to vehicles. Certainembodiments relate to self-driving motorized vehicles.

Description of Related Art

Vehicles typically require a driver. These vehicles often can onlyperform actions when directly instructed by the driver. However,self-driving vehicles are not reliant upon drivers and can performactions based upon external events. As such, self-driving vehicles cansave time and dramatically increase convenience in roadway travel. As aresult, there is a need for systems and methods that enable self-drivingvehicles to perform actions based upon external events.

SUMMARY

Self-driving vehicles will save tens of thousands of lives per year. Themajority of vehicle-related deaths are caused by driver error. Testshave shown that self-driving vehicles nearly eliminate self-inflictedaccidents (although they are not immune to accidents caused by humandrivers of other vehicles). Self-driving vehicles have unlimitedattention spans and can process complex sensor data nearlyinstantaneously. The ability of self-driving vehicles to save lives isso impressive that society has a moral imperative to developself-driving technology such that it can be widely adopted.

Self-driving vehicles also have the ability to dramatically save timeand improve convenience in roadway travel. Specifically, self-drivingvehicles have unlimited potential to learn and predict human behaviorand perform actions accordingly. Many embodiments described hereinenable a self-driving vehicle to monitor human activity and predict whenand where the human will be located and whether the human needs a ridefrom the self-driving vehicle. Self-driving vehicles will be able toperform such tasks with incredible efficacy and accuracy that will allowself-driving vehicles to proliferate at a much faster rate than wouldotherwise be the case.

The disclosure includes a method of picking up a person with aself-driving vehicle. The method can comprise receiving, by a vehiclemanagement system, a notification; and sending, by the vehiclemanagement system, a first wireless communication to the self-drivingvehicle in response to receiving the notification. The first wirelesscommunication can prompt the self-driving vehicle to move towards theperson.

In some embodiments, the notification comprises a checkout notificationand the method further comprises receiving, by the vehicle managementsystem, the checkout notification in response to the person purchasingan item at a store. In some embodiments, the person has a remotecomputing device and receiving the checkout notification can occur inresponse to the person performing an electronic payment transaction fora purchase of the item at the store. The method can further includesearching, by the vehicle management system, for location data of theremote computing device in response to the electronic paymenttransaction; and sending, by the vehicle management system, the locationdata of the remote computing device to the self-driving vehicle inresponse to the electronic payment transaction.

Methods can also comprise searching, by the vehicle management system,for location data of the remote computing device in response to theelectronic payment transaction; and determining, by the vehiclemanagement system, whether the remote computing device is located withina predetermined distance of the self-driving vehicle. The first wirelesscommunication can prompt the self-driving vehicle to move towards theperson having the remote computing device in response to the remotecomputing device being located within the predetermined distance.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending, by thevehicle management system in response to the remote computing device notbeing located within the predetermined distance of the self-drivingvehicle, a second wireless communication to the remote computing device.The second wireless communication can prompt the remote computing deviceto determine whether the person wants the self-driving vehicle to movetowards the person.

Methods can also include receiving, by the vehicle management system, athird wireless communication in response to the second wirelesscommunication. The third wireless communication can comprise at leastone of first instructions to maintain the self-driving vehicle in aparked state and second instructions to move the self-driving vehicletowards the person. Methods can also include sending, by the vehiclemanagement system in response to receiving the third wirelesscommunication, a fourth wireless communication to the remote computingdevice, wherein the fourth wireless communication prompts the remotecomputing device to determine where the person wants to meet theself-driving vehicle.

In some embodiments, receiving the checkout notification occurs inresponse to the person purchasing the item with a credit card. Methodscan further include determining, by the vehicle management system,location data of a remote computing device of the person in response tothe checkout notification.

In response to receiving the checkout notification, the method cancomprise determining, by the vehicle management system, whether theremote computing device is not connected to a cellular network; andmaintaining the self-driving vehicle in a parked state in response todetermining the remote computing device is not connected to the cellularnetwork. Methods can also include determining, by the vehicle managementsystem, whether the remote computing device was previously not connectedto the cellular network and then determining whether the remotecomputing device is connected to the cellular network; and sending, bythe vehicle management system, the first wireless communication to theself-driving vehicle in response to determining whether the remotecomputing device was previously not connected to the cellular networkand then determining whether the remote computing device is connected tothe cellular network.

In some embodiments, the method comprises sending, by the vehiclemanagement system in response to receiving the checkout notification, asecond wireless communication to a remote computing device of theperson, wherein the second wireless communication prompts the remotecomputing device to determine whether the person wants the self-drivingvehicle to move towards the person. Methods can also include receiving,by the vehicle management system, a third wireless communication inresponse to the second wireless communication, wherein the thirdwireless communication comprises instructions to maintain theself-driving vehicle in a parked state for a predetermined amount oftime.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the method comprises sending, by thevehicle management system in response to receiving the checkoutnotification, a second wireless communication to a remote computingdevice of the person, wherein the second wireless communication promptsthe remote computing device to determine whether the person wants theself-driving vehicle to move towards the person. Methods can alsoinclude receiving, by the vehicle management system, a third wirelesscommunication in response to the second wireless communication, whereinthe third wireless communication instructs the vehicle management systemto return the self-driving vehicle to a parked state.

The notification can comprise a notification of a first event associatedwith the person. Accordingly, methods can comprise receiving, by thevehicle management system, a second checkout notification in response tothe person purchasing a second item at the store.

Receiving the notification can comprise receiving, by the vehiclemanagement system, a pickup request for the self-driving vehicle to pickup the person; and picking up the person with the self-driving vehicle.In some embodiments, the method includes receiving, by the vehiclemanagement system, location data of a requested location for where theself-driving vehicle should meet the person; and arriving, by thevehicle, at the requested location of the person. Additionally, methodscan include determining, by the vehicle management system, a time ofarrival of the person at the requested location; and arriving, by thevehicle, at the requested location before the time of arrival of theperson.

In some embodiments, the method comprises determining, by the vehiclemanagement system, a first travel time for the vehicle to arrive at therequested location; determining, by the vehicle management system, asecond travel time for the person to arrive at the requested location;determining, by the vehicle management system, whether the second traveltime is greater than the first travel time; and delaying, by thevehicle, arriving at the requested location in response to determiningthe second travel time is greater than the first travel time. Delayingarriving at the requested location can comprise delaying arriving at therequested location by an amount of time less than or equal to thedifference between the second travel time and the first travel time.

The notification can comprise a logout notification. Accordingly, themethod can further comprise receiving, by the vehicle management system,the logout notification in response to the person logging out of a workcomputer. In some embodiments, the method comprises determining, by thevehicle management system, that the logout notification occurs during apredetermined time of day, and sending, by the vehicle managementsystem, the first wireless communication to the self-driving vehicleoccurs in response to receiving the logout notification and the logoutnotification occurring during the predetermined time of day.

In some embodiments, the method comprises determining, by the vehiclemanagement system, that the person has a scheduled appointment within apredetermined amount of time of the occurrence of the logoutnotification. Additionally, sending, by the vehicle management system,the first wireless communication to the self-driving vehicle can occurin response to determining whether the person has the scheduledappointment within the predetermined amount of time of the occurrence ofthe logout notification.

Methods can include determining, by the vehicle management system,whether a remote computing device of the person is located within apredetermined distance of the self-driving vehicle; and sending, by thevehicle management system, the first wireless communication to theself-driving vehicle in response to the remote computing device beinglocated within the predetermined distance of the self-driving vehicle.

The disclosure also includes a method of picking up a person with aself-driving vehicle. The method can comprise determining, by a vehiclemanagement system, whether a remote computing device associated with theperson is one of disconnected from the cellular network and connected tothe cellular network with a first signal less than a predeterminedlevel; then determining, by the vehicle management system, whether theremote computing device is connected to the cellular network with asecond signal greater than or equal to the predetermined level; andsending, by the vehicle management system, a first wirelesscommunication to the self-driving vehicle in response to determiningwhether the remote computing device is connected to the cellular networkwith the second signal greater than or equal to the predetermined level.

In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the vehiclemanagement system, whether the remote computing device is connected tothe cellular network with a second signal greater than or equal to thepredetermined level occurs during a predetermined time of day.Additionally, sending, by the vehicle management system, the firstwireless communication to the self-driving vehicle can occur in responseto determining whether the remote computing device is connected to thecellular network with the second signal greater than or equal to thepredetermined level occurs during the predetermined time of day.

Methods can even include determining, by the vehicle management system,whether the remote computing device is one of disconnected from thecellular network for at least a predetermined amount of time andconnected to the cellular network with the first signal less than thepredetermined level for at least the predetermined amount of time. Aswell, sending, by the vehicle management system, the first wirelesscommunication to the self-driving vehicle can occur in response todetermining whether the remote computing device is one of disconnectedfrom the cellular network for at least a predetermined amount of timeand connected to the cellular network with the first signal less thanthe predetermined level for at least the predetermined amount of time.

In some embodiments, the method comprises determining, by the vehiclemanagement system, whether the remote computing device is one ofdisconnected from the cellular network for less than the predeterminedamount of time and connected to the cellular network with the secondsignal less than the predetermined level for less than the predeterminedamount of time. Methods can also include maintaining the vehicle in aparked state in response determining whether the remote computing deviceis one of disconnected from the cellular network for less than thepredetermined amount of time and connected to the cellular network withthe second signal less than the predetermined level for less than thepredetermined amount of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages are described belowwith reference to the drawings, which are intended to illustrate, butnot to limit, the invention. In the drawings, like reference charactersdenote corresponding features consistently throughout similarembodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a self-driving vehicle,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a self-driving vehicle,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a method of using aself-driving vehicle, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates a diagrammatic view of another method of using aself-driving vehicle, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a diagrammatic view of another method of using aself-driving vehicle, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagrammatic view of another method of using aself-driving vehicle, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates a diagrammatic view of another method of using aself-driving vehicle, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a diagrammatic view of another method of using aself-driving vehicle, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates a diagrammatic view of another method of using aself-driving vehicle, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, inventivesubject matter extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments toother alternative embodiments and/or uses, and to modifications andequivalents thereof. Thus, the scope of the claims appended hereto isnot limited by any of the particular embodiments described below. Forexample, in any method or process disclosed herein, the acts oroperations of the method or process may be performed in any suitablesequence and are not necessarily limited to any particular disclosedsequence. Various operations may be described as multiple discreteoperations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understandingcertain embodiments; however, the order of description should not beconstrued to imply that these operations are order dependent.Additionally, the structures, systems, and/or devices described hereinmay be embodied as integrated components or as separate components.

For purposes of comparing various embodiments, certain aspects andadvantages of these embodiments are described. Not necessarily all suchaspects or advantages are achieved by any particular embodiment. Thus,for example, various embodiments may be carried out in a manner thatachieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taughtherein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as mayalso be taught or suggested herein.

Self-driving vehicles will offer provide significant savings to theeconomy and society at-large. For example, self-driving vehicles willnot only greatly reduce roadway congestion, thus making transportationmore efficient and less costly, but self-driving vehicles will alsolearn and adapt to human behavior, thus providing an unimaginable levelof convenience in today's world of transportation. The ability ofself-driving vehicles to positively impact the economy and public is soimpressive that society has a moral imperative to develop self-drivingtechnology such that it can be widely adopted.

Self-driving vehicles have unlimited potential to learn and predicthuman behavior and perform actions accordingly. Many embodimentsdescribed herein enable a self-driving vehicle to monitor human activityand predict when and where the human will be located and whether thehuman needs a ride from the self-driving vehicle. Self-driving vehicleswill be able to perform such tasks with incredible efficacy andaccuracy, which will allow self-driving vehicles to proliferate at amuch faster than would otherwise be the case.

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a self-driving vehicle 2(“vehicle”) and a vehicle management system 4 (“system”). In someembodiments, the system 4 comprises the vehicle 2. In this regard, thesystem 4 can comprise a plurality of vehicles (e.g. self-drivingvehicles and non self-driving vehicles) that are communicatively coupledto the system 4. In some embodiments, the vehicle 2 comprises the system4. In this regard, the system 4 can be implemented as an on-board systemlocated within the vehicle 2. In such embodiments, the system 4 canstill be communicatively coupled to other vehicles (e.g. self-drivingvehicles and non self-driving vehicles).

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the system 4 can receive anotification 6 a. In some embodiments, the system 4 can send a firstwireless communication 15 a to the vehicle 2 in response to the system 4receiving the notification 6 a. The first wireless communication 15 acan thereby prompt the vehicle 2 to move towards the person 1. It shouldbe noted that any of the transmission steps described in thisdisclosure, such as sending, receiving, and the like, can be executeddirectly and/or indirectly.

As shown in FIG. 2, the notification 6 a can be any type of notificationthat indicates that a person, such as the person 1 or another person,needs a ride from the vehicle 2. In some embodiments, the notification 6a comprises a checkout notification 6 b, such as a notification that theperson has purchased an item or service from a store. Accordingly, insome embodiments, the vehicle management system 4 receives the checkoutnotification 6 b in response to the person 1 purchasing the item orservice at the store.

According to FIGS. 2 and 3, the vehicle 2 and/or system 4 may performactions in response to the system 4 receiving an indication of thenotification 6 a. For example, in response to receiving the notification6 a, such as the checkout notification 6 b, the system 4 may send asecond wireless communication 15 b to the remote computing device 12.The second wireless communication 15 b may prompt the remote computingdevice 12 to ask the person 1 whether the person 1 wants the vehicle 2to move towards the person 1. In this regard, the system 4 can respondto the notification by sending an indication to the remote computingdevice 12 to determine whether the person 1 wants the vehicle 2 to movetowards the person 1 (e.g. pick up the person 1). Because the vehicle 2and/or system 4 can receive wireless communications while the vehicle 2is in a parked state or a driving state, such as when the vehicle 2 isin a holding pattern (e.g. driving around the parking lot waiting forthe person 1 to be picked up), the system 4 may receive the secondwireless communication 15 c. In some embodiments, the second wirelesscommunication 15 c may instruct the vehicle 2 to move to a parked state,enter the holding pattern, continue the holding pattern, or move towardsa pickup location to retrieve the person 1. It should be appreciatedthat the phrase “parked state” means that the vehicle 2 remains in astationary position or the vehicle 2 is in a non-pickup mode whereby thevehicle is moving but is not actively en route to pick up the person 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the notification 6 a can comprise various types ofnotifications and events, such as a first event 6 c associated with theperson 1. In some embodiments, the first event 6 c may comprise a textmessage or email sent by the remote computing device 12, a post on asocial network communicatively coupled to the remote computing device12, such as status or “check in” posted on a social network (e.g.Facebook®, Twitter®, and the like). The first event 6 c may also includeother external events, such as a severe weather alert. For example, thesystem 4 may be configured to determine if severe weather is about tooccur. In response to this determination, the vehicle 2 can move towardsthe person 1 to pick up the person 1 and take them out of harm's way.

The system 4 can also be configured to determine the occurrence of manyother events, such as whether an event or appointment that the person isattending 1 has concluded or is about to conclude whereby the event hasa known ending time. For example, the system 4 can determine that theperson 1 is attending a movie and the movie has ended or is about to endwithin a predetermined amount of time, such as within 5 minutes.

The system 4 can also be configured to determine whether an event orappointment that the person is attending 1 has concluded or is about toconclude whereby the event has an unknown ending time. Describeddifferently, many appointments and events, such as sporting events, canlast for unknown amounts of time. For example, a baseball game may havea tie score whereby the game is extended into extra innings. In thisregard, the system 4 can determine that the person 1 is not onlyattending the baseball game, but the system can determine, via a thirdparty database, whether the game has been extended to extra innings. Thesystem 4 may continue to monitor the progress of the baseball game andonce the game is over, the vehicle 2 may be dispatched to retrieve theperson 1. The system 4 may further be configured with advanced features,or analytics, to determine the conclusion of the event based uponstatistical probabilities. For example, the system 4 may be monitoringthe progress of the baseball game and the system 4 may determine thatthe home team has scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 12^(th) inning andthat the home team now leads by a score of 8-1. The system 4 mayimplement statistical analysis and determine that the other team has avery low statistical chance of scoring 7 or more runs during the top ofthe 13^(th) inning. In response to this determination, the vehicle 2 maymove towards the person 1 based upon the assumption that the game willend after the top of the 13^(th) inning. It should be appreciated thatthese are just a few of the many examples of how statistical analysisand analytics can be used to predict the end of events with unknownending times. Accordingly, in response to this analysis, the vehicle 2and system 4 can respond by performing any appropriate action, asdescribed in this disclosure.

The notification 6 a can also include various notifications, such as asecond checkout notification 6 f The second checkout notification 6 fcan indicate that the person 1 has purchased a second item from the samestore, or even a different store. This type of notification can indicatethat the person 1 is still shopping and may not want to be picked upjust yet. Alternatively, this type of notification can indicate that theperson 1 has concluded their shopping and is ready to be picked up. Thesystem 4 can learn the person's behavior patterns and respond to futureoccurrences in accordance with these patterns, which can indicate theperson's desires.

In some embodiments, the system 4 receives the checkout notification 6 bin response to the person 1 purchasing the item with a credit card. Inresponse to the checkout notification, the vehicle 2 can thereby movetowards the person 1. In some embodiments, the system 4 can furtherdetermine the location data 14 of the remote computing device 12 of theperson in response to the checkout notification (e.g. credit cardtransaction) and the vehicle 2 can thereby move towards the location ofthe remote computing device 12. To further illustrate with a scenario, aperson grocery shopping in a store may proceed through the checkout laneand pay for his/her groceries with a credit card. The vehicle 2 and/orsystem 4 can detect the occurrence of the credit card transaction, whichcan thereby indicate that the person 1 is done grocery shopping andabout to leave the store. Accordingly, in response to the credit cardtransaction, the vehicle 2 can move towards the person, move to thelocation where the vehicle 2 dropped the person 1 off, move to apredetermined location, move to a location of the person's remotecomputing device 12 (which can indicate the location of the person 1),or move to any other location to thereby pick up the person 1.

Because so many people carry remote computing devices, such assmartphones, the system 4 can monitor and respond to various eventsassociated with remote computing devices. For example, in someembodiments where the person 1 has a remote computing device 12, inresponse to the electronic payment transaction for a purchase of theitem at the store, the system 4 can receive the checkout notification 6b, such as a first checkout notification 6 b. It should be appreciatedthat the electronic payment transaction can be a mobile payment and/ordigital wallet service, such as Apple Pay (provided by Apple Inc.) thatlets users make payments with their remote computing devices, whichinclude smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, and the like. It shouldalso be appreciated that the electronic payment transaction can includeservices like Android Pay (provided by Android, Inc.), Samsung Pay(provided by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.), and the like.

Embodiments of the system 4 can also be configured to determine whetherthe remote computing device 12 is located within a predetermineddistance of the vehicle 2. In this regard, the first wirelesscommunication 15 a can prompt the vehicle 2 to move towards the person 1having the remote computing device 12 in response to the remotecomputing device 12 being located within the predetermined distance. Forexample, the system 4 may determine that the person 1 was previouslylocated with respect to the vehicle a distance greater than thepredetermined distance, but the person 1 has now moved to within thepredetermined distance of the vehicle. Accordingly, this can indicatethat the person 1 is ready to be picked up by the vehicle 2. Inresponse, the vehicle 2 can move towards the person 1 to pick up theperson 1. It should be appreciated that the predetermined distance canbe any distance preset by the vehicle manufacturer, vehicle owner,vehicle operator, and anyone affiliated with the vehicle 2 and/or system4. Additionally, the predetermined distance can be any distance such as10 feet, 100 feet, 1,000 feet, 1 mile, and any distance greater than 1mile.

The system 4 can also be configured to send various wirelesscommunications to the vehicle 2 in response to the location of theremote computing device 12. In some embodiments, if the remote computingdevice 12 is not located within the predetermined distance of thevehicle 2, the system 4 can send a second wireless communication 15 b tothe remote computing device 12. However, in some embodiments, if theremote computing device 12 is located within the predetermined distanceof the vehicle 2, the system 4 can send the second wirelesscommunication 15 b to the remote computing device 12. The secondwireless communication 15 b can prompt the remote computing device 12 toask the person 1 whether the person 1 wants the vehicle 2 to movetowards the person 1. To better illustrate with a real-life scenario, ifthe person 1 is shopping at a large shopping mall, the system 4 maydetermine that the remote computing device 12 (and the person 1) islocated greater than 2,000 feet away from the vehicle 2, perhaps at theother end of the shopping mall. In response to this determination, thesystem 4 may then send the second wireless communication 15 b to theremote computing device 12 to determine if the person 1 wants to getpicked up at the other end of the shopping mall or if the person doesnot want to get picked up, because he/she wants to continue shopping.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the system 4 can also be configured toreceive a third wireless communication 15 c in response to the system 4sending the second wireless communication 15 b and/or the remotecomputing device 12 receiving the second wireless communication 15 b.Stated differently, the remote computing device 12 can be configured tosend the third wireless communication 15 b in response to the system 4sending the second wireless communication 15 b and/or the remotecomputing device 12 receiving the second wireless communication 15 b.Accordingly, in some embodiments, the system 4 can receive the thirdwireless communication 15 c from the remote computing device 12. Thethird wireless communication 15 c can include various instructions, suchas first instructions to maintain the vehicle 2 in a parked state,second instructions to move the vehicle 2 towards the person 1, thirdinstructions to put the vehicle 2 in a holding pattern mode whereby thevehicle 2 drives around a portion of a parking lot or roadway waitingfor the person 1 to be ready to be picked up, and the like.

Furthermore, the third wireless communication 15 c can includeinstructions to perform actions for a predetermined amount of time, oran amount of time until the system 4 receives a subsequent notification.For example, the third wireless communication 15 c can includeinstructions to maintain the vehicle 2 in a parked state for apredetermined amount of time or maintain the holding pattern until thesystem 4 receives a subsequent notification indicating the person 1 isready to be picked up. Once the predetermined amount of time haselapsed, the vehicle 2 can perform subsequent actions, such as any ofthe actions described in this disclosure, including moving towards theperson 1.

Embodiments can also include communications between the person 1 andvehicle 2 and/or system 4 whereby the person 1 can provide specificlocation data 14 to the system 4 so that the vehicle 2 can pick up theperson 1 at a desired location. For example, in some embodiments, inresponse to the system 4 receiving the third wireless communication 15c, the system 4 can send a fourth wireless communication 15 d to theremote computing device 12. The fourth wireless communication 15 d canprompt the remote computing device 12 to ask the person 1 where theperson 1 wants to meet the vehicle 2. The system 4 can then receivedesired location data for where the person 1 wants to meet the vehicle2. This configuration can provide user convenience for instances whenportions of the roadway are congested with traffic. Accordingly, theperson 1 (i.e. user) can thereby summons the vehicle to a new desiredlocation with less traffic.

The system 4 can also be configured to perform advanced steps to moreaccurately determine not only whether the person 1 is in need of a ridefrom the vehicle 2, but also the location of the remote computing device12 and/or person 1. With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, in someembodiments, the system 4 can determine the connectivity of the remotecomputing device 12 and thereby perform actions with the vehicle 2 inresponse to the connectivity of the remote computing device 12. In someembodiments, in response to receiving a notification of an occurrence ofan event, such as the checkout notification 6 b, the system 4 can thendetermine whether the remote computing device 12 is connected to acellular network and/or a wireless network. In response to determiningthe remote computing device 12 is not connected to the cellular network,the system 4 can maintain the vehicle 2 in a parked state. Described infurther detail, the system 4 may detect that the person has purchased anitem from a store, and the system 4 may perform additional verificationsto determine whether the person 1 is actually leaving the store. Assuch, in response to the checkout notification 6 b, the system 4 maydetermine that the remote computing device 12 is not connected to thecellular network, which may indicate that the person and the remotecomputing device 12 are still located inside the store. The system 4 maydetermine that the remote computing device 12 is instead connected tothe wireless network (perhaps the wireless network operated by thestore), which may further indicate that the person is still inside thestore and not yet ready to leave. Embodiments of the system 4 may beconfigured to respond to these determinations in any number of ways,such as moving the vehicle 2 towards the person 1, maintaining thevehicle 2 in a parked state, and the like.

The system 4 may also perform additional steps to determine whether theperson 1 is ready to be picked up by the vehicle 2. In some embodiments,the system 4 may determine whether the remote computing device 12 waspreviously not connected to the cellular network and then determinewhether the remote computing device 12 is subsequently connected to thecellular network. Additionally, in some embodiments, the system 4 maysend the first wireless communication 15 a to the vehicle 2 in responseto determining that the remote computing device 12 was previously notconnected to the cellular network and then determining whether theremote computing device is subsequently connected to the cellularnetwork. This sequence may indicate that the person 1 was located insidea building where their remote computing device 12 was unable to receivea signal, and then the person 1 moved near the exit of the building oreven outside the building whereby their remote computing device 12 wasable to receive a signal. This may indicate that the person 1 needs tobe picked up by the vehicle 2.

The system 4 may also be configured to receive manual summons requestsfrom the person 1, whereby the summons request can indicate that theperson 1 would like to be picked up by the vehicle 2. As illustrated inFIG. 5, in some embodiments, the system 4 may receive a pickup request 6d for the vehicle 2 to pick up the person 1. Accordingly, the vehicle 2may move towards the person 1 and/or pick up the person 1. It should beappreciated that the person 1 may manually summons the vehicle 2 bysubmitting a request through their remote computing device 12, which canbe received by the system 4.

The system 4 can also be configured to search for location data 14 ofthe remote computing device 12. In some embodiments, searching for thelocation data 14 occurs in response to various other events ornotifications 6 a, such as the electronic payment transaction. In thisregard, the system 4 can determine the location of the remote computingdevice 12, and because the person 1 likely has the remote computingdevice 12 close by, or coupled to their person, the location data 14 canthereby indicate the location of the person 1. Accordingly, the system 4can also be configured to send the location data 14 of the remotecomputing device 12 to the vehicle 2. The location data 14 can therebyallow the vehicle 2 to drive towards the location of the remotecomputing device 12, to thereby retrieve the person 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, some embodiments of the system 4 can alsoreceive a requested pickup location that indicates where the person 1would like to be picked up by the vehicle 2. In this manner, the person1 may request the pickup location in a number of ways. In someembodiments, the person 1 sends a text message, via the remote computingdevice 12, which includes location data, such as a street address, tothe system 4. The text message can thereby instruct the vehicle 2 topick up the person at a requested location 20. In some embodiments, theperson 1 drops a pin on a map displayed on the screen of the remotecomputing device 12 to indicate the location where the person 1 wouldlike to be picked up. Once the system 4 receives the requested location20, the vehicle 2 can thereby travel towards the requested location 20of the person 1. The system 4 can also be configured to recognizefrequently visited, or known locations, such as home, work, and thelike.

With continued reference to FIG. 5, the system 4 may also performadditional steps to precisely coordinate the arrival time of the person1 at the requested location 20 with the arrival time of the vehicle 2 atthe requested location 20. Accordingly, the system 4 may determine atime of arrival of the person at the requested location 20. In someembodiments, the vehicle 2 may arrive at the requested location 20 atapproximately the time of arrival of the person. In other words, theperson 1 and the vehicle 2 arrive at the requested location 20 atapproximately the same time. In some embodiments, the vehicle 2 mayarrive at the requested location 20 before the time of arrival of theperson 1. Even still, in some embodiments, the vehicle 2 may arrive atthe requested location 20 after the time of arrival of the person. Itshould be appreciated the term “approximately” may be defined asarriving within plus or minus 5 minutes. In other words, the person 1and the vehicle 2 may arrive at the requested location 20 within 5minutes of each other.

The system 4 may even determine travel times for the person 1 andvehicle 2 to the requested location 20 and thereby coordinate thedeparture of the vehicle 2 so that it corresponds with the arrival ofthe person 1. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the system 4 may determine afirst travel time for the vehicle 2 to arrive at the requested location20. The system 4 may also determine a second travel time for the person1 to arrive at the requested location 20. The system 4 may thendetermine whether the second travel time is greater than the firsttravel time, or whether the second travel time is equal to or less thanthe first travel time. In response to the system 4 determining that thesecond travel time is greater than the first travel time, the system 4may delay the vehicle's departure by an amount of time so that thevehicle arrives at the requested location 20 at approximately the sametime as the person 1. In other words, the system 4 can delay the vehicle4 arriving at the requested location 20 in response to determining thesecond travel time is greater than the first travel time. In someembodiments, delaying arriving at the requested location 20 can includedelaying arriving at the requested location 20 by an amount of time lessthan or equal to the difference between the second travel time and thefirst travel time. In response to the system 4 determining that thesecond travel time is equal to or less than the first travel time, thesystem 4 may immediately dispatch the vehicle 2 so that the vehicle 2arrives at the requested location 20 as close as possible to the arrivaltime of the person 1. In the event that the second travel time is lessthan the first travel time, the system 4 may send a notification to theremote computing device 12 to thereby notify the person 1 that thevehicle 2 will arrive later then the person 1.

This disclosure also includes embodiments configured to monitor aperson's computer activity and then pick up the person 1 in response tothe activity. Specifically, these embodiments can be useful during theworkday while the person 1 is at work. Accordingly, the notification 6 acan include various computer notifications, such as a logoutnotification 6 e whereby the person 1 logs out of a computer, such as awork computer. As shown in FIG. 7, the system 4 can receive the logoutnotification 6 e in response to the person logging out of a computer.The logout notification 6 e can indicate that the person 1 is leavingwork for the day and the person 1 needs to be picked up by the vehicle2. In response to the system 4 receiving the logout notification 6 e,the vehicle 2 can then move towards a location to pick up the person 1.

People often logout out of their computers at various times during themiddle of the workday but don't intend to leave work. Rather, the personmay log out for various activities that commonly occur during theworkday and/or occur onsite at the office, such as meetings, bathroombreaks, coffee breaks, and the like. In some embodiments, the system 4may determine that the logout notification 6 e occurs during apredetermined time of day. Accordingly, the system 4 may send the firstwireless communication 15 a to the vehicle 2 in response to receivingthe logout notification 6 e and the logout notification 6 e occurringduring the predetermined time of day. In other words, the system 4 canbe configured to pick up or not pick up the person in response to thelogout notification 6 e. For example, if the logout notification 6 eoccurs during a predetermined time of day, such as during working hours(e.g. 9 am to 5 pm), then the system 4 may not instruct the vehicle 2 topick up the person 1. Whereas, if the logout notification 6 e occursduring a second predetermined time of day, such as after 5 pm, then thesystem 4 may instruct the vehicle 2 to pick up the person 1 because thistime is after the person's workday has ended.

However, there are exceptions to this criteria, such as if the logoutnotification 6 e occurs during lunch hours (e.g. 11 am to 1 pm).Accordingly, in response to the logout notification occurring duringlunch hours, the vehicle 2 may move towards the person 1 to pick up theperson 1 and take them to a restaurant or to an offsite appointment.

Additionally, the system 4 may be configured to determine if the logoutnotification 6 e occurs within a predetermined amount of time of ascheduled appointment. The system 4 may further determine the locationof the scheduled appointment. For example, if the system 4 determinesthat the scheduled appointment is located offsite (i.e. located remotelyto the person's work), and the system 4 determines that the scheduledappointment occurs within a predetermined amount of time of theoccurrence of the logout notification 6 e, then the system 4 mayinstruct the vehicle 2 to move towards the person 1 to pick him or herup. Furthermore, if the system 4 determines that the scheduledappointment is located onsite (i.e. the appointment is located in thesame building as the person's work or within a very short distance, suchas 500 feet away), and the system 4 determines that the scheduledappointment occurs within a predetermined amount of time of theoccurrence of the logout notification 6 e, then the system 4 may notinstruct the vehicle 2 to move towards the person 1 to pick him or herup.

Systems and methods may also be configured to determine the signalstrength of the remote computing device 12, which may further indicatethe person's location and need for a ride from the vehicle 2. In someembodiments, the system 4 is configured to determine whether a remotecomputing device 12 associated with the person 1 is disconnected fromthe cellular network or connected to the cellular network, but with afirst signal that is less than a predetermined level. The system 4 canthen determine whether the remote computing device 12 is connected tothe cellular network with a second signal greater than or equal to thepredetermined level. If the system determines that the remote computingdevice 12 is connected to the cellular network with the first signalthat is less (weaker) than the predetermined level, then this mayindicate that the person 1 was previously inside the building (e.g. thestore) and their remote computing device 12 was receiving no signal or aweak signal. The subsequent determination that the remote computingdevice 12 is connected to the cellular network with the second signalstrength that is greater than or equal to the predetermined level mayindicate that the person 1 is outside the building or closer to the exitof the building whereby their remote computing device 12 is receiving astronger signal. These determinations taken in sequence may indicatethat the person 1 is thereby moving toward the exit and in need of aride from the vehicle 2. In response to one or both of thesedeterminations, the system 4 may send a first wireless communication tothe vehicle 2. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold is equalto the first signal. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold isequal to the second signal. It should be appreciated that stating that asignal is greater than, less than, or equal to a predetermined level isreferring to the strength of the signal.

The system 4 may also be configured to further determine the person'sneed for a ride from the vehicle 2 by tracking the signal strength ofthe remote computing device 12 at predetermined times of day. As shownin FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the system 4 may determine whether theremote computing device 12 is connected to the cellular network with asecond signal greater than or equal to the predetermined level during apredetermined time of day. In this regard, the system 4 may determinethat the remote computing device 12 is connected to the cellular networkwith a second signal greater than the predetermined threshold. However,determining signal strength alone may not provide enough information forthe system 4 to accurately conclude whether the person 1 needs a ridefrom the vehicle 2.

In this regard, the determination of the second signal strength can befurther augmented by the system 4 determining if the second signaloccurs during a specific time of day, such as between 10 am and 6 pm, orafter 6 pm. For example, if the system 4 determines that the secondsignal is greater than the predetermined threshold at 2 pm, then thismight indicate that the person 1 is outside of the building or near theentrance but is not actually leaving the building. For example, theperson 1 might be taking a short walk break outside the building wherebythe remote computing device 12 receives a stronger signal as compared towhen the remote computing device 12 is inside the building. On the otherhand, if the system 4 determines that the second signal is greater thanthe predetermined threshold at 7 pm, then this might indicate that theperson 1 is near the entrance or physically outside the building, butmore importantly, this determination might indicate that the person 1 isleaving work. In response to this determination, the vehicle 2 can beginmoving towards the person 1 to pick the person 1 up.

In addition to determining the signal strength of the remote computingdevice 12 during predetermined times of day, the system 4 may also beconfigured to determine how long the remote computing device 12 isreceiving a signal with a strength greater than or less than thepredetermined threshold. As shown in FIG. 9, the system 4 can beconfigured to determine whether the remote computing device 12 isdisconnected from the cellular network for at least a predeterminedamount of time or connected to the cellular network with the firstsignal less than the predetermined level for at least the predeterminedamount of time.

In this regard, the system 4 can send the first wireless communicationto the vehicle 2 in response to determining whether the remote computingdevice 12 is disconnected from the cellular network for at least apredetermined amount of time or connected to the cellular network withthe first signal less than the predetermined level for at least thepredetermined amount of time. To further illustrate with an example, theperson 1 may be moving between areas of the building where the cellularsignal or Wi-Fi signal of the remote computing device 12 is impaired.For example, the person 1 might be in an elevator whereby the remotecomputing device 12 receives a diminished signal or no signal at all.Furthermore, depending upon which floor the person 1 is going to, thesystem 4 may determine the amount of time that the remote computingdevice 12 receives the diminished signal and then interpret thisdifferently.

For example, a person 1 may have an office on the 40^(th) floor so whenthe person 1 leaves the office for the day, the person 1 likely has totake the elevator to the 1^(st) floor. Accordingly, the system 4 candetermine how long it commonly takes to travel from the 40^(th) floor tothe 1^(st) floor (plus-minus additional time depending on whether theelevator has to pick up or drop off other passengers). Accordingly, insome instances, the person 1 might travel from the 40^(th) floor toanother floor within the building (e.g. the 25^(th) floor). In thisregard, the system 4 may determine that the remote computing device 12received a diminished signal for an amount of time less than the amountit takes to travel from the 40^(th) floor to the 1^(st) floor. As such,the system 4 may interpret this to mean that the person 1 is not leavingthe building and is instead simply moving between floors in thebuilding, without intending to leave the office. Therefore, the system 4may maintain the vehicle 2 in a parked state in response to determiningthat the remote computing device 12 is disconnected from the cellularnetwork (or connected to the cellular network with the second signalless than the predetermined level) for less than the predeterminedamount of time. In some embodiments, the predetermined amount of timemay be the amount of time it commonly takes for the person 1 to travelby elevator from their work floor to the ground level.

Generally, it should be appreciated that the system 4 can learn theperson's day-to-day behavioral patterns and the system 4 can adapt itsresponses accordingly. Because machine learning can require more thanone data point, the system 4 can also be configured to receive manualinputs from a user, such as the person 1. For example, if the person 1relocates their desk from the 40^(th) floor to the 25^(th) floor, thesystem 4 may be configured to receive a manual input whereby the person1 can override the previous learning of the system 4. In this regard,the system 4 can be fully configured to automatically learn and adjustto a person's behavior, as well as be manually configured to a specificsetting as dictated by the user.

Interpretation

None of the steps described herein is essential or indispensable. Any ofthe steps can be adjusted or modified. Other or additional steps can beused. Any portion of any of the steps, processes, structures, and/ordevices disclosed or illustrated in one embodiment, flowchart, orexample in this specification can be combined or used with or instead ofany other portion of any of the steps, processes, structures, and/ordevices disclosed or illustrated in a different embodiment, flowchart,or example. The embodiments and examples provided herein are notintended to be discrete and separate from each other.

The section headings and subheadings provided herein are nonlimiting.The section headings and subheadings do not represent or limit the fullscope of the embodiments described in the sections to which the headingsand subheadings pertain. For example, a section titled “Topic 1” mayinclude embodiments that do not pertain to Topic 1 and embodimentsdescribed in other sections may apply to and be combined withembodiments described within the “Topic 1” section.

Some of the devices, systems, embodiments, and processes use computers.Each of the routines, processes, methods, and algorithms described inthe preceding sections may be embodied in, and fully or partiallyautomated by, code modules executed by one or more computers, computerprocessors, or machines configured to execute computer instructions. Thecode modules may be stored on any type of non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium or tangible computer storage device,such as hard drives, solid state memory, flash memory, optical disc,and/or the like. The processes and algorithms may be implementedpartially or wholly in application-specific circuitry. The results ofthe disclosed processes and process steps may be stored, persistently orotherwise, in any type of non-transitory computer storage such as, e.g.,volatile or non-volatile storage.

The various features and processes described above may be usedindependently of one another, or may be combined in various ways. Allpossible combinations and subcombinations are intended to fall withinthe scope of this disclosure. In addition, certain method, event, state,or process blocks may be omitted in some implementations. The methods,steps, and processes described herein are also not limited to anyparticular sequence, and the blocks, steps, or states relating theretocan be performed in other sequences that are appropriate. For example,described tasks or events may be performed in an order other than theorder specifically disclosed. Multiple steps may be combined in a singleblock or state. The example tasks or events may be performed in serial,in parallel, or in some other manner. Tasks or events may be added to orremoved from the disclosed example embodiments. The example systems andcomponents described herein may be configured differently thandescribed. For example, elements may be added to, removed from, orrearranged compared to the disclosed example embodiments.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/orsteps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required forone or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,”“including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are usedinclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additionalelements, features, acts, operations and so forth. Also, the term “or”is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so thatwhen used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or”means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Conjunctivelanguage such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unlessspecifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the contextas used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X,Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended toimply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least oneof Y, and at least one of Z to each be present.

The term “and/or” means that “and” applies to some embodiments and “or”applies to some embodiments. Thus, A, B, and/or C can be replaced withA, B, and C written in one sentence and A, B, or C written in anothersentence. A, B, and/or C means that some embodiments can include A andB, some embodiments can include A and C, some embodiments can include Band C, some embodiments can only include A, some embodiments can includeonly B, some embodiments can include only C, and some embodiments caninclude A, B, and C. The term “and/or” is used to avoid unnecessaryredundancy.

While certain example embodiments have been described, these embodimentshave been presented by way of example only, and are not intended tolimit the scope of the inventions disclosed herein. Thus, nothing in theforegoing description is intended to imply that any particular feature,characteristic, step, module, or block is necessary or indispensable.Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodiedin a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions,substitutions, and changes in the form of the methods and systemsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinventions disclosed herein.

1. A method of picking up a person with a self-driving vehicle, themethod comprising: receiving, by a vehicle management system, anindication that the person has requested a ride from the self-drivingvehicle, wherein the indication comprises a logout notification that theperson has logged out of a computer located remotely relative to theself-driving vehicle; determining, by the vehicle management system,that the person has a scheduled appointment within a predeterminedamount of time of the occurrence of the indication; sending, by thevehicle management system, a first wireless communication to theself-driving vehicle in response to determining that the scheduledappointment occurs within the predetermined amount of time of theoccurrence of the indication, wherein the first wireless communicationprompts the self-driving vehicle to move towards the person; andreceiving, by the vehicle management system, the logout notification,wherein the logout notification occurs before the self-driving vehiclepicks up the person.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining, by the vehicle management system, that alocation of the scheduled appointment is located less than apredetermined distance from the computer; and sending, by the vehiclemanagement system, a second wireless communication to the self-drivingvehicle in response to determining that the location of the scheduledappointment is located less than the predetermined distance from thecomputer, wherein the second wireless communication prompts theself-driving vehicle to perform at least one of move away from theperson, not pick up the person, and position the self-driving vehicle ina parked state.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdetermining, by the vehicle management system, that a location of thescheduled appointment is located greater than a predetermined distancefrom the computer, wherein sending, by the vehicle management system,the first wireless communication to the self-driving vehicle also occursin response to determining that the location of the scheduledappointment is located greater than a predetermined distance from thecomputer.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by thevehicle management system, a second wireless communication from a remotecomputing device associated with the person, wherein the second wirelesscommunication comprises instructions to perform at least one of moveaway from the person, not pick up the person, and position theself-driving vehicle in a parked state.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising: receiving, by the vehicle management system,location data of a remote computing device associated with the person;and arriving, by the self-driving vehicle, at a requested location ofthe person.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining,by the vehicle management system, a time of arrival of the person at therequested location; and arriving, by the self-driving vehicle, at therequested location before the time of arrival of the person.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the vehiclemanagement system, that the indication occurs during a predeterminedtime of day, wherein sending, by the vehicle management system, thefirst wireless communication to the self-driving vehicle occurs inresponse to receiving the indication and the indication occurring duringthe predetermined time of day.
 9. A method of picking up a person with aself-driving vehicle, the method comprising: receiving, by a vehiclemanagement system, a logout notification comprising a notification thatthe person has logged out of a computer located remotely relative to theself-driving vehicle, wherein the logout notification occurs before theself-driving vehicle picks up the person; sending, by the vehiclemanagement system, a first wireless communication to the self-drivingvehicle in response to receiving the logout notification; and promptingthe self-driving vehicle to move towards the person and pick up theperson.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein prompting the self-drivingvehicle to move towards the person and pick up the person occurs atleast partially in response to receiving the first wirelesscommunication, and wherein the person has a remote computing device, themethod further comprising searching, by the vehicle management system,for location data of the remote computing device in response to thelogout notification.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprisingsending, by the vehicle management system, the location data of theremote computing device to the self-driving vehicle.
 12. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising determining, by the vehicle managementsystem, whether the remote computing device is located within apredetermined distance of the self-driving vehicle, wherein the firstwireless communication prompts the self-driving vehicle to move towardsthe person having the remote computing device in response to the remotecomputing device being located within the predetermined distance. 13.The method of claim 12, further comprising sending, by the vehiclemanagement system in response to the remote computing device not beinglocated within the predetermined distance of the self-driving vehicle, asecond wireless communication to the remote computing device, whereinthe second wireless communication prompts the remote computing device todetermine whether the person wants the self-driving vehicle to movetowards the person.
 14. A system for picking up a person with aself-driving vehicle, the system comprising: a vehicle management systemconfigured to receive logout notifications and send wirelesscommunications; a logout notification received by the vehicle managementsystem in response to the person logging out of a computer locatedremotely relative to the self-driving vehicle, wherein the vehiclemanagement system is configured to receive the logout notificationbefore the self-driving vehicle picks up the person; and a firstwireless communication sent by the vehicle management system to theself-driving vehicle in response to receiving the logout notification,wherein the first wireless communication is configured to prompt theself-driving vehicle to move towards the person and pick up the person.15. The system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle management system islocated onboard the self-driving vehicle.
 16. The system of claim 14,wherein the vehicle management system is remotely located with respectto the self-driving vehicle.
 17. The system of claim 14, furthercomprising a remote computing device communicatively coupled to thevehicle management system and operated by the person.
 18. The system ofclaim 17, wherein the vehicle management system is configured to receivelocation data of the remote computing device.
 19. The system of claim17, further comprising a second wireless communication received by theremote computing device, wherein the second wireless communicationprompts the remote computing device to determine whether the personwants the self-driving vehicle to move towards the person.
 20. Thesystem of claim 19, further comprising a third wireless communicationreceived by the vehicle management system, wherein the third wirelesscommunication comprises at least one of a first instruction to positionthe self-driving vehicle in a parked state and a second instruction tomove the self-driving vehicle towards the person.
 21. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising posting, by the vehicle management system, astatus on a social network.